This Juneteenth I had hoped to publish a different post on race and the social contract, but in light of Florida Democratic Party Chair Stephen Bittel's comments
calling black lawmakers "childish" and his subsequently inadequate apology I could not delay my response:
Mr. Bittel:
I hope you remember me. We met at a luncheon for College and
Young Dems in Hillsborough County a couple months ago. If you don't remember, I
was the tall black guy with the hair. I must confess that your comments at the
Leadership Blue Gala deeply disappointed me. They turned what ought to have
been a celebration for the party into a controversy. As Chair of the party, I
hope you understand and take responsibility for that.
As I wrote my reaction to the story to share on Facebook, I
questioned whether or not I should call for your resignation. Ultimately, I
decided against doing so. However, the first comment on my post did call for
you to resign your post and I have since seen others make the same call. I have
nightmares about a solidly red Florida and do not think that your resignation
would help prevent my fears from manifesting. Furthermore, I believe in
forgiveness. In your apology you said
that "you will do better" so I believe in giving you the opportunity
to do so.
Had your comments been directed at white lawmakers or
lawmakers in general, your apology would have sufficed and we could move
forward. People sometimes say things they that they shouldn't and in and of
themselves, your comments were not too egregious. However, context matters.
Throughout our history in this country, black people have been treated like
property, children or beasts, not with the dignity and respect they deserve as
men and women. That your comments came between people mourning the verdict of
the Philando Castile trial and Juneteenth - when many African-Americans celebrate
the emancipation of their ancestors - further exacerbates the pain felt. Any adequate
apology must address the peculiar history of African-Americans.
While your comments opened up racial wounds, I want to be clear that I am not calling you a racist. Rather, I fear that your comments are another micro-aggressive straw that will eventually break the camel's back. As their cries of injustice at the hands of the police state go unheard, the souls of black folk feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one side, with their Southern Strategy, the GOP has done everything to dissuade the African-American from supporting them. Today, they pass laws designed to make it more difficult for African-Americans to vote and gerrymander their districts to weaken the representation of those who do vote. On the other side, African-Americans increasingly feel that their vote in bloc for the Democratic Party is taken for granted. Rep. Shevrin Jones echoed this sentiment when she that "[African-Americans] are considered an afterthought," and that "[African-Americans] are only brought in to deal with issues when it's election time."
I am convinced that if fulfilled, the Democratic agenda is
better for African-Americans than that of the Republican Party. However, an
increase in the minimum wage or access to affordable health care does nothing
for a man if he is arbitrarily slain at the hands of the police. I have come to
the conclusion that African-Americans should only vote for a candidate if and
only if police reform is at the forefront of his or her campaign, even if that
means voting for a Republican or not voting at all. Their support for Democrats
can no longer be a foregone conclusion. You can raise all the money in the
world Mr. Bittel, but Democrats cannot win in Florida without the turnout and
support of black voters. With 20 years of Republican leadership in the
Governor's Mansion, I believe African-Americans can endure four more years, but
we are coming to the point where we cannot wait any longer for the end of the
tyranny of the police state or to be taken seriously by the Democratic Party.
Rather than turn police reform into a partisan issue, I do believe reigning in
the police state can be argued from the ideologies of both sides of the aisle.
These reforms must include body cameras, citizen review boards and more
training for law enforcement, as is often discussed. However, in addition we
require laws explicitly limiting engagement and the use of force by police
officers, so that if and when people are arbitrarily deprived of their life at
the hands of law enforcement, they can at the very least expect justice in the
court of law. With or without the Democratic Party, we will have justice.
Chickens come home to roost Mr. Bittel and in context your
comments were more offensive than Frank Artiles referring to six senators of
the GOP - all of whom are white - as n***as. In your apology, you said you
"respect all of our elected officials." But, your comments were not
directed at "all" of our representatives; rather, you explicitly
targeted "black lawmakers" in general and also specifically Sen.
Oscar Braynon. I hope you will, as you promised, "do better," and use
this opportunity as a teachable moment. Furthermore, come November 2018 I hope
we can celebrate Democratic victories across Florida. However, a house divided
cannot stand, and this party cannot win if its black base continues to feel
dismissed by party leadership.
Sincerely yours for the cause of liberty and justice for
all,
Michael "Crunch" Cardwell II
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